NUIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMI lllllllllllllllllllllllTI
AUGUST 1967
VOLUME XXVIII / NUMBER 8
20 CENTS
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XoNN U TAYLOK
Dedicated to the Conservation of
Virginia's Wildlife and Related Natural Resources
and to the Betterment of
Outdoor Recreation in Virginia
Published by Virginia commission of game and inland fisheries, Richmond, Virginia 23213
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
MILLS E. GODWIN, JR., Governor
Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries
COMMISSIONERS
J. C. Aaron, V ice-Chairman .... Martinsville
H. G. Bauserman, Jr Arlington
Richard F. Beirne, III Covington
CusTis L. Coleman, M.D Richmond
Edward E. Edgar Norfolk
A. Ree Ellis Waynesboro
R. G. GuNTER Abingdon
G. Richard Thompson Marshall
E. Floyd Yates Powhatan
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
Chester V. Phelps, Executive Director
Richard H. Cross, Jr. . . Chief, Game Division
Jack M. Hoffman .... Chief, Fish Division
Lillian B. Layne .... Chief, Fiscal Division
James F. McInteer, Jr. . Chief, Education Division
John H. McLaughlin . Chief, Laiv Enforcement Div.
PUBLICATION OFFICE: Commission of Game and
Inland Fisheries, 7 N. Second St., Richmond, Virginia
James F. McInteer, Jr Editor
Ann E. Pilcher Editorial Assistant
Leon G. Kesteloo Photographer
Harry L. Gillam Circulation
AUGUST
Volume XXVIII/No. 8
IN THIS ISSUE PAGE
Editoral: Management Objectives on Public Lands 3
Letters 3
Seasons in Dismal Swamp: Summer 4
A Note on Denning Habits of the Gray Squirrel 6
Commission-Owned Lakes: Lake Conner 7
Camouflage: A Gentle Defense 8
The Quantico Conservation Story 10
Man's Best Friend 12
Conservationgram 13
Inland Sailing 14
Parade of the Polypores 16
Bird Watchers' Dividend 18
Finest Fly 19
Year of the Bears 19
The Drumming Log 24
Youth Afield 25
On the Waterfront 26
Bird of the Month : American Bittern 27
Pictorial: Toads and Frogs 28
COVER: More slender in build, narrower of wing,
and more graceful and active in flight than gulls,
terns tirelessly cruise the summer air currents over
salt marsh, sand dune and coastal waters. Their sud-
den headfirst dives into the water to seize a morsel
of food are a constant source of delight to many
seashore bird watchers. Our artist: John W. Taylor.
Edgewater, Maryland.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year, SI .50; three years,
$H.50. Give check or money order, made payable to
the Treasurer of Virginia, to local game commission
employee or send to Commission of Game and Inland
Fisheries, P. 0. Box 1612. Richmond. Virginia 23213.
Virginia Wii di hi is pulilished monthly at Richmond, Virginia, by the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, 7 North Second Street.
All magazine suhscriptions, change of address notices, and inquiries should be sent to Box 1642, Richmond, Va. 23213. The editorial
office gratefully receives for publication news items, articles, photographs, and sketches of good quality which deal with Virginia's soils,
water, forests, and wildlife. The Commission assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and illustrative material. Credit is
given on material published. Permission to reprint text material is granicd provided credit is given the Virginia Commission of Game and
Inland Fisheries and Virginia Wildlifu, Clearances must be made with photographers or artists to reproduce illustrations.
Second-class postaKe paid at Richmond, Va.
EDITORIAL
Management Objectives on Public Lands
LAST month we commented on one matter that has been brought
before the Public Land Law Review Commission. That was the
need to reaffirm the principle (which is now challenjied by some
bureaucrats responsible for managing federally owned land) that
ownership and jurisdiction over resident wildlife resources on all
lands, public or private, remains vested in the several States.
There are other issues to which the Public Land Law Review
Commission should address itself. One involves public land manage-
ment objectives; and another has to do with access to public lands
for outdoor recreation, specifically hunting.
We believe that under our cherished system of enterprise capi-
talism, government should do those things, and only those things,
that private enterprise cannot do. Protection of watersheds from
indiscriminate logging, overgrazing, and burning, in order to
stabilize streams and prevent soil erosion and siltation of water-
courses, is one of the things history has proved to be unwise to
leave in private hands. This is one of the primary justifications
for acquiring and maintaining large tracts in public ownership.
Having accomplished this, however, what next? There was a time,
a generation or so ago, when management of public forest land for
sustained yield of forest products served both to develop the know-
how and to demonstrate the value of such management. That day is
long past. Today the owners of commercial forest land no longer
need such demonstrations to persuade them, or show them how. to
practice sustained yield management. We are not running out of
forest products, and the industry is perfectly capable of meeting
the demands for them, on a sustained yield basis.
Rut wildlife habitat, and public hunting opportunities, have
intrinsic but intangible values not measurable in dollars. They are
not produced in quantity in response to the profit motive which
moves private enterprise. If they are needed, then providing them
remains a legitimate function and responsibility of government.
They are needed, and the orientation of the management of public
lands should be primarily toward such values as these, rather than
toward those forest products which industry is perfectly capable
of producing at a profit.
The removal of a large, deformed, hollow, so-called "wolf" tree,
to make room for three straight young saplings to grow into poles,
may be good commercial forest management. On public land, orient-
ed toward wildlife habitat and recreation instead of products, such
a tree would be highly valued for the family of squirrels, raccoons,
or wood ducks it could shelter each year.
The clear cutting of stands of mature hardwoods to facilitate
forest regeneration in even-aged blocks of fast growing pine trees
is good commercial forest management. Rut on public lands, oriented
toward wildlife habitat and recreation, mature hardwoods would be
valued above even-aged pines for the tons of mast they shower down
on the forest floor each year as food for deer, turkeys, bear, and
other valuable wildlife species.
On suitable, publicly owned wildlife habitat (excepting certain
military reservations and other special purpose land holdings I the
improvement of that habitat for maximum sustained yields of wild
game for recreational use should be a primary long-range manage-
ment objective, subordinate to watershed protection, perhaps, but
definitely not secondary to the production of commercial products.
Next month we will examine a corollary principle having to do
with criteria for determining which public lands should be open,
and which closed, to public hunting. — J. F. Mc.
LETTERS
Reject the Proposal
THE proposal by James W. Engle, Jr., (June
issue, Virginia Wildlije) to change the
Goshen-Little North Mountain Wildlife Man-
agement Areas to an Outdoor Recreation
Area, should be rejected.
The primary intended use of this land is
hunting and fishing, not general outdoor rec-
reation. It is not proper for the Game Com-
mission to use its funds, which are derived
from hunters and fishermen, to develop roads,
picnic and campgrounds and other artifacts
of civilization, for use by those who do not
purchase hunting and fishing licenses. These
refinements are not needed or wanted by the
hunter and fisherman.
I am not against the Virginia Outdoors
Plan. I realize our resource plan must be
people-oriented, but, we should, we must, safe-
guard our Wildlife Management Areas from
management inconsistent with the preserva-
tion of their wilderness qualities.
There is one legitimate reason for saving
the wilderness quality of Goshen, and all
Wildlife Management Areas, and that is that
some people enjoy the opportunity of being
attuned to the continuous miracle of crea-
tion, away from the artificialities of modern
life. Even though they may be in the minority,
there are people who enjoy the satisfactions
of primitive living under natural conditions.
Multiple use is not the indiscriminate use of
each area for all purposes. It is wise use of
resources, planned so that each area within
a system of lands serves those purposes for
which it is best suited.
Wilderness qualities are most fragile; they
cannot survive a mechanical, an artificial or
an exploitive management. They cannot sur-
vive where all other activities are permitted
simultaneously.
Instead of creating roads and "Little Sky-
line Drives" for windshield spectators and
trail riders to jam, we should consider re-
stricting all motorized travel to these areas,
and permit access only by foot or horseback.
In Mr. Engle's own words. ''It is an inter-
esting and rewarding area to explore on foot."
Don Morris
Arlington
Expand the Proposal
CONGRATULATIONS on your excellent pitch
for regional recreational planning, "The
Goshen-Little North Mountain Outdoor Rec-
reation Area — A Proposal," in the June issue
of Virginia Wildlife. This kind of coordinated
land use planning certainly is called for now
as pressures mount, as a result of the in-
creased human population, for year-round
use of all publicly owned recreational lands.
Let me suggest that you consider including
in your regional recreation plans provision
for the preservation of a few State wilderness
areas. . . . These units would not only serve
wilderness recreationists but would also pro-
tect habitat for wilderness wildlife species,
such as the black bear.
M. Rupert Cutler
Assistant Executive Secretary
The Wilderness Society
SEASONS IN DISMAL SWAMP
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itf4tfftet
By ULRICH TROUBETZKOY
Richmond
WHEN the summer water level goes down far enough
in Lake Drummond. it gives glimpses of history
and pre-history in the Dismal Swamp: an Indian
chipping stone and points, the stumps of cypresses destroy-
ed in ancient fires, practice bombs dropped in the lake
during World War II. . . .
Joe Barnes, who lived in the swamp for nine years as a
boy, says an old cannon ball was found in Lake Drummond
about 40 years ago. In a dry season, he tells us. he has seen
bear dig several feet down to the water level and the deer
jump into slush puddles when the mud flats dry up. He has
found many Indian things, a chipping stone on Jericho
Ditch, a tomahawk and arrowheads on Quonset and on
West Ditch. From frequent surface finds, it is obvious that
Indians hunted there, but no archaeological work has yet
established that Indians lived in the swamp.
Summer is the time of birds and blueberries, of purple
disks of elderberries hanging over their reflections in
coffee-colored ditches. If you wait quietly near water, you
will probably see a heron or a kingfisher carry off a
"flyer." If you rest the paddles of your canoe on the Ports-
mouth Ditch, vou can watch the warblers and cardinals
flickering in and out of bankside thickets of holly, honey-
suckle and flaming trumpet vine. Because cultivated fields
are encroaching on this part of the swamp, you will hear
the quail calling. Overhead a cruising hawk suggests the
ecology of the swamp.
The diaries of George Washington, promoter of the
swamp, show that he was in it from May 25 to 28 in
1763. He did not go back until October. .Someone must
have warned him about the mosquitoes and "swamp Hies"
or "yellow flies." Eighty-six year old Swamper Harvey Vick
showed me a big bottle of rubbing alcohol he has handy
when the flies bite. Mrs. M. A. Dunn, of Wallaceton. re-
peated the durable local saying that the flies of July will
go away "with the first big rain in August.''
Anyone who has reason to go into Lake Drummond in
the summer, is apt to prefer traveling by water. Old Cap-
tain Crockett was for years the principal one who took
boat parties in by way of the Feeder Ditcli from the Dismal
Swamp Canal and, along with the scenery, travelers were
treated to tall tales of the swamp's wildlife and its legend-
ary denizens. But this fund of myth and history is gone,
for Captain Crockett was killed by a car as he was crossing
Route 17 several years ago.
If you do not have a boat of your own, you can still
arrange to make this trip, by way of the Feeder Ditch,
throujih M. A. Dunn, of Wallaceton. (Mailino; address:
Formerly Virr/inia Wildlife editorial assistant, then editor of Virginia
Cavalcade (published by the State Library), Mrs. Troubetzkoy is a feature
writer and columnist with Richmond Newspapers, Inc. This June she
was elected president of the National Federation of Press Women, Inc.,
at the Federation's Annual Convention in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Route 1. Box 218. Chesapeake.) It is well to make arrange-
ments ahead of time, since he can accommodate only five
passengers at a time and the trip, which usuallv begins at
7:30 or 8 in the morning, takes between two and a half
and four hours, depending on weather and load.
In such weather as 1 got on mv recent trip to the s\\ amp.
with gale warnings up for Hatteras. there could be no
excursion by boat into the lake. Shallow Lake Drummond
can get unbelievably rough in a very short time.
Exactly 10 years ago occurred one of the most publicized
water disasters in the Dismal Swamp.
Bennie Powell had never been to Lake Drummond. al-
though he had been coaxed again and again bv his friend.
Dr. Roland Ellison. "1 kept putting it off."" Finally he was
persuaded to go with Dr. Ellison and C. Thornton Early.
\^ hen interviewed several vears ago. he said: "Something
told me not to go. The wind was blowing bad."" When thev
got to the ditch. Early said. "Powell's going with me on
the lake," even though "the waves were running three to
four feet high and were close enough to give the boat a
rough buffeting."
Thev didn't get far before the motor "bluvvered." They
tried to start it. "but it want running right." Powell felt
the water coming up his leg. Then, "there she went. Every-
body went over and everything went to floating. Every-
body grabbed the boat.""
"There ain't a man who goes into the lake can swim like
I can. " says Powell, who was holding onto the bow. Early
was at the stern, holding onto the motor. Dr. Ellison was
amidships. \^ hen the doctor was washed off, Powell put
him back on the boat, saying. "Thatta boy."
At first. Powell said. "I felt like I'd freeze to death."'
Then he was even more concerned to realize. "\ didn t
see nobody coming for us." Next they were strangling and
blowing water out of their noses.
Ellison said. "Weve got to do the best we can. "" Powell
had to put him on top of the boat again. In five or ten
minutes, he slipped off again, held onto the cable a few
moments, and then Bennie Powell had to watch him drown,
for he himself was just about out of breath. He looked at
Ellison going by, "The man"s eyes done set."" He glanced
back at Early. "It want two minutes before I saw his hands
let go. He came right by me. just like Ellison exactly,
floating just under water."
Powell was two hours all by himself fighting it. wash-
ing from one end of the boat to the other. When he
In early summer the best way to enter the swamp is by boat, through
the Feeder Ditch to Lake Drummond.
n photo by H.i
Va. Chamber of Commerce photo
When the water is low in Lake Drummond, one can see ancient cypress
stumps exposed. The lake is a unique geographic feature of the region.
floated opposite the Rogers Hunt Club, he saw a man with
a pole. He heard the man shout, "See if you can't hit
bottom." It was Dewey Howell who came to rescue him.
Powell was in water to his chest, but the waves kept
breaking over his head. Howell revived him. Aspirin,
liquor and clothes warmed him. Then he dozed and gasped
on a cot in the club, finally. Howell said, ''Captain Bennie,
you're going to the hospital." "'Before I got to Magnolia, I
could hear the sirens following."'
"I couldn't get off my mind what I'd been through." he
said to me, remembering vividly in spite of the years be-
tween. "The waves just whipped 'em to death. They were
found not far from where they went in. floating just under
the surface. The Alumacraft boat stayed afloat." Only
Bennie Powell, with a bricklayer's strength in his hands,
had the power to hold on. Apparently one cause of the
tragedy was an air hole crack in the line which caused the
motor to "cut out. run, then die again." The other was the
treachery of the usually placid, shallow waters of the
lake.
Fire in the Dismal Swamp, because of the deep deposits
of still-forming peat, is nearly always disastrous and dif-
ficult to fight.
Thirteen hundred scorched acres, thousands of burned
wild creatures, millions of dollars worth of charred tim-
ber, scar the swamp after the most recent major lire this
spring. The smoky fire moved underground in the peat
moss and leaped among the treetops in the high winds,
until it burned to water level or to sand, leaving great holes.
The Indians — and many since then — have believed that
Lake Drummond was formed by such a fire burning for
"many moons" in the peat deposits. Geologists, however,
class it with the type of peat-enclosed lakes common in
morasses of glaciated areas. Cypresses, black gums and
other trees which can maintain their roots below the level
of permanent water, crowded in on the basin.
A fire in the swamp is such a serious matter and so
difficult to control that, on first notice of the last fire, R.
J. Bartholomew, Fire Control Chief for Virginia, came from
Charlottesville. At the height of the fire, according to A. D.
Leach of the Chesapeake Post, there were 150 men fighting
it around the clock. After the above-ground part of the
fire was brought under control, 50 men continued patrolling
the area and pumping on the smouldering peat.
Recalling the 4400-acre fire in 1952. Bartholomew said
that at that time he saw a flaming rabbit leap a fire lane
AUGUST, 1967
and start a new conflagration in another part of the woods.
Over the years, fire in the swamp has been caused by
sparks from locomotives of the logging railroads and from
sawmills, by lightning and by fires that apparently had gone
out. but had really gone underground. Anyone who gets
special permission, as this writer did a few years ago. to
go into the swamp during a period of great fire danger, is
pledged not to smoke or use any form of fire and to report
anyone else seen in the swamp.
Indian hunter Earl Bass said a few years ago he didn't
believe the fires directly hurt the fleeter game in large
numbers, but it was the cause of more being kiUed because
"Little green stuff came up and they came to eat it." Only
a few weeks after this last fire, "little green stuff." notably
the croziers of new ferns, was coming up. The trees too
have put out leaves, but foresters say this was because of
sap already flowing and that most of the burned trees will
die.
Joe Barnes recalls particularly the big fire in the summer
of 192.3 when so much wildlife was burnt and says he saw
"deer walking on nubs." "We moved out in a boat. You
couldn't see 20 yards. We went out to Wallaceton and
lived there two or three weeks. The fires burned through
into North Carolina, to the Northwestern Railroad." He
says that was when ashes and he drained into Lake Drum-
mond and into the ditches and killed so many fish and
that deer, destroyed in certain sections, apparently did not
return.
One of the biggest fires was in 1925 and after it the
Richmond Cedar Works changed to the use of oil in the
juniper swamps. That fire burned about 15,000 acres, most
of which had been cut over and was coming back in
juniper (white cedar). There were other major fires in
1926 and in 19.30.
Once in the Dismal Swamp, one can savor the delights
of isolation and the excitement of having to be alert to
whatever dangers lurk within, from snakes to storm to
fire to the possibility of getting lost. But, on the wav into
the swamp these days, one may be shocked into realization
of far greater danger, to the survival of our last eastern
wilderness.
Overpopulation of urban areas nearby and the fallout
of an explosive economy threaten the Dismal Swamp in
more permanent ways than even its most disastrous fires.
Fiddleheads spring back from scorched swamp. Trees
replenish themselves, however slowly. Wildlife reproduces.
(Continued on paqe 22)
A "light" in the swamp occurs after logging and a forest fire, before
the trees have grown back.
Va. State Library photo by W. A. Christian, Jr.
A Note on Denning Habits
OF THE Gray Squirrel
By JOHN H. DOEBEL
Department of Forestry and U ildlife, I .P.I .
THE successful hunter is probably better acquainted
with the denniiif; habits of the gray s(]uirrel iSciiuus
carolinensis I than he realizes, (^ertainh . a kno\vled<ie
of denning aids the hunter in choosing "'prime" areas in
which to pursue this popular sport.
A V.P.E radiotracking study i Virginia It ildlife, March,
1967 ) has taken a closer look at the home range and
activity of this important small game species. While col-
lecting this data, attention was also given to den tree
preferences and the number of dens used per squirrel.
The study area is an eight acre, mature to overmature
oak -hickory woodlot located on the V.P.I. (College Farms.
This woodlot supports 40 to 65 gray squirrels. Approxi-
mately ten cattle graze the area leaving little understory
vegetation. The dominant tree species are white oak
{Quercus alba), red oak (Quercus rubra), and red hickory
iCarya ovalis). Interspersed with these species are a few
smaller black cherries (prunus serotina). domestic cherries
iPrunus cerasus), and mockernut hickories {Carya tonien-
tosa) .
Ten gray squirrels were tracked a total of 87 days and
24 nights from November. 1966. to March, 1967. A den
tree was defined as any tree in which a squirrel spent a
night. The species and size of each tree was recorded.
The monitored s(juirrels used a total of 17 dens in 15
different trees. Ten dens were located in white oaks, thus
showing a preference for this species. This is expected
since the white oaks on the study area are older than the
other dominant species; they also decay more rapidly than
hickories. 'J wo dens were located in both black cherry and
red oak trees, and one den each was located in a red
hickory and a domestic cherry. The rapid-decaying prop-
erties of cherries are probably responsible for three dens
being located in these species, even though they compose
only a small percentage of the total trees on the area.
The mean d.b.h. (diameter breast height) of the den
trees was 35 inches. Because of the large size of the trees
(up to 50 inches d.b.h.). most Aitn holes are relatively large;
A gray squirrel with tiny radio transmitter attached. By this device
squirrels were tracked, and their home range and denning habits
"observed."
therefore, the transmitter on the squirrel's back offered
little resistance to den entrance. One squirrel enlarged its
den hole by gnawing after finding diflicultv in entering.
A radiotracking period usually lasted six days for each
squirrel. Six squirrels used one den each during their re-
spective tracking periods; the remaining four squirrels
used more than one den. One adult male used four dens,
one of which was located in another woodlot about one-
quarter mile from the study area. Another squirrel used
three dens, and two squirrels used two different den sites.
There was no relationship between sex. age. and the num-
ber of dens utilized by an individual squirrel.
Den sites were generally located on the boundary of the
squirrels home range. Such positioning of the den or nest
with respect to the home range area has been noted for
other small mammals (Kaye. 1961). No explanation of this
relationship has been advanced.
Hickories and red oaks produced the greatest amount of
available mast during the study period, but three dens
were found in these species. Thus, the combination of the
three dominant tree species on the area provided the squirrel
population with needed den sites and mast.
The study conditions were abnormal for Virginia with
respect to habitat and population levels. The combination
of amjjle den trees I white oaks) with good mast producing
trees (hickories and red oaks) has produced an unusually
high squirrel population. Of course, mast production varies
from species to species and year to year; however, our study
stresses the importance of supplying both food and cover
for this important small game species. These are probably
best supplied through forest management practices which
encourage mixed stands of forested areas.
Proper gray squirrel management is diflicult to achieve
as many times it is in direct conflict with the most "eco-
nomically efficient" means of forest production and harvest-
ing procedures. I hope that, with further research, we
can fulfill both the needs of the forester and the hunter,
thereby perpetuating an invaluable resource.
This is the type of den in old hardwood trees for which squirrels on
the study area showed preference.
VIHCI\IA WII.DIJl
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COMMISSION-OWNED LAKES
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TO NATHALIE
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WEST STORE
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The light -fishing pressure on Lake Conner
gives anglers plenty of elbow room. Al-
though no boats are available at the
lake, a ramp is provided for launching
private boats.
J-^akc
ann^et
By HARRY GILLAM
Information Officer
LYING between Buggs Island Lake and the Leesville Smith Moun-
^ tain complex, Lake Conner is largely overlooked by the present
generation of anglers who flock to the larger lakes. In the opinion
of some fisheries biologists, the 111 acre lake offers bass fishing on
a par with any in the area, since a population of gizzard shad pro-
vides topnotch forage for the hungry bass.
Lake Conner is located in northern Halifax County some eight
miles north of Clover. It lies in a setting of rolling hills surrounded
by mature hardwood forest with a few scattered pines. The lake was
completed in 1954 and is relatively shallow with a maximum depth
of 11 feet. Cattails are prevalent around the shoreline, especially in
the lake's upper end. Largemouth bass, bluegills, catfish, carp and
crappie make up the lake's fish population. Bass fishing is good in
April, excellent during May, June and July, and continues good into
September. Bluegill fishing is tops in April and May and continues
good into early fall. Crappie fishing is best in spring and fall. A
4 pound 131/2 ounce crappie was caught in April, 1967. The lake has
a rather large carp population and angling for them has become a
popular sport with local residents.
Fishing pressure is rather light with from one to two dozen ang-
lers present on a normal Saturday during the best fishing periods. Al-
though an unused concession stand is present, there are no boats for
rent and no source of bait, tackles or food at the lake. Bait and tackle
can be secured at Brookneal or Halifax. A launching ramp is provided
for launching personal boats and there is a parking lot.
y 'i^ ^
■t:^:
Lake Conner is a shallow lake located
in the rolling hills of northern Halifax
County. It supports an excellent popu-
lation of largemouth bass plus crappie,
catfish, sunfish and even carp.
AUGUST. 1967
CAMOUFLAGE:
a gentle defense
By KATHERINE W. MOSELEY
Rixeyville
THE fawn of the white-tailed deer lay curled in sleep
on the forest floor. A dappled pattern of sunshine and
shadow filtered through the leaves of the trees onto the
soft, rusty, splotclied-with-white coat of the fawn. As long
as the young animal lay motionless it was invisible. The tones
and patterns of the curled body seemed to melt into its
surroundings.
The covey of quail perked their way through the open
autumn field secure in their drah concealment colors. Sud-
dently alarmed, the birds rose like whirring feathered bomlis
and headed for a wooded cover. There they dropped all at
onre and disappeared. Each l)ird. with wings pressed tightlv
against the body, completely faded from sight. There were
dead stumps, dry grass and weathered leave> in the wooded
cover.
In the world ol fang and claw excrv li\ing creature must
ha\e defensixc powers and for rnan\ their greatest weapon
is the gentle defense of proteeti\e color. However, not all
protective coloring is concealing. Some color patterns still
leave the creature visible but disguised to !)e something else
that caiHiot be harmed. I sualh those who depend on
protective (nloring are shv and ehisive. Thanks to this gift
of nature the) may slip or hide among their enemies like
noiseless shadows.
Authorities on animal and insect eamounage are con\ince(l
that the color \ariations are due to the elimination b\
predators of the ones of their species which did not match
their backgrounds a> efTecti\('l\ as the others. For instance,
the small animals of the desert will lie lighter and sandier
than the same small animals in a shadier background. The
non-matchers in each neighborhood were sighted and killed.
In the northern part of the continent the Arctic polar bear.
S.C.S. photo by B. D. Rohinson
Ground nesting birds, like this quail, almost completely disappear
from sight when they "sit tight" in their concealing cover.
the Arctic fox. the Arctic wolf wear snow-white coats the
whole snowv year around. A little farther south all three
lia\f color \ariation> that are seasonal, white coats in
winter, darker ones in summer.
A> a rule most small animals are of inconspicuous ap-
pearanif and harmonize well with their surroundings. If
lying close to the ground and not in motion they are difficult
to distinguish. The eamounage of color is useless, how-
ever, unless tlie cieature knows how to use it. The gra}'
scpiirrel blends into the burly trunk of a tree by humping
or llattening its body. If frightened it sidles and glides, us-
ing the tree as a shield, then it seems to freeze and its body
becomes as one with the textured bark.
The stone-still summer toad seems to be only a dry clod of
earth. The spring peeper jierched on a ri\t'r reed is an inch
long knot. The bull frog is a part of the green scum of the
pond. Tin\ tret> frogs that rest on lea\es of low shrubs so
match the color of the leaves they can scarcely be discovered.
Most nocturnal animals, birds, and insects are bravest at
10i
With the sun's rays fitered through summer
vegetation, making a pattern of light and
shadow, the -fawn's coat provides almost perfect
camouflage.
Commission photo by Kestoloo
VIRGINIA WILDLIFE
night when they wander and feed. Their survival depends on
daytime camouflage while they rest. This means many long
hours without stirring. The screech owl sleeps and perches
motionless most of the sun-lit day huddli-d in a tree with
dense foliage. It depends on protective coloration for safety.
If frightened the little owl stretches it.self tall and thin, tightly
holding in all of its feathers in order to melt even more
into its surroundings.
Many female birds are quite drali as are their nests and
eggs. Only hirds that nest in deep holes or burrows lay pure
white eggs. Other birds which nest upon the open ground
such as the whippoorwills produce the best camouflaged
eggs. However, all open nests hold eggs that are speckled,
freckled, spotted or blotched in order to be less con-
spicuous. The birdlings of the ground nesters such as quail,
turkey and grouse are ready to leave the nest as soon
as the down dries. Their dull, earthy colors enable the
young birds to hide safely if the mother gives the cluck
of danger.
It is in the world of insects that the art of camouflage
seems incredible. Some of the disguises seem utterly fan-
tastic. Insects are the most abundant life of our world but
may remain unseen because of their amazing coloration
or lack of it. They may resemble anything from leaves,
twigs, flowers, to debris and animal droppings.
Beetles and bugs seem natural fragments of leafy earth.
Grasshoppers are lost from sight in either fresh, green
grass or dried parched weeds. There is a grasshopper with
ragged wings which appear to be chewed away by insects.
The katydid is green with thin, leaf-like wing covers, which
makes the insect indistinguishable from the young tree
leaves where it lives. Mantises are colored greenish-brown
with almost transparent wings. When at rest they are im-
po.ssible to see in foliage. The walkingsticks are large wing-
less insects that resemble long twigs, even to small
evenly spaced nodes. They live and feed on oak, locust and
walnut in their almost invisible dress. The twig caterpillar
has also developed the physical dimension and markings of
a real twig. It must find a tree in which to branch off a limb
as a twig. If touched, the insect drops to the ground motion-
less as though it were a real dead twig.
Even the gaudiest of moths have splotches, bands and
gradations of color and so they move and rest in some de-
gree of safety. A species of moth with banded wings rests
on banded leaves, always placing itself .so the bands are
parallel. There are over one hundred species of the at-
tractive underwing moths in the United States. When the
adult rests on the tree bark with the brownish-green wings
folded it can scarcely be seen. In flight there are bright
colors of the underwings but to the enemies on watch the
moth is so drab as to be invisible. Some caterpillars must
hang from the underside of a twig. The light from above
makes it almost imperceptible but if it gets turned over it
can be seen quite plainly, so some instinct prompts the
caterpillar to immediately turn to hang upside down again.
Many reptiles have achieved an almost complete harmony
with their environment. The chameleon, the champion of all
camouflage artists, is able to change his coloration to con-
form or to blbnd with most backgrounds. Chameleons may
turn from gray to brown to green. The copperhead snake is
difficult to visualize unless it moves. The hour-glass patterned
back appears to be a segment of leaves or seems a part of a
stone if the light shadows are mottled over the stone. The
grass snake slips unnoticed through summer weeds. The
garter snake of the stony hillside hugs the ground and moves
so quickly and silently through the brown leaves of which
it seems a part.
Defense by color seems too simple and passive to be
successful. Yet the whippoorwill's yellowish-brown eggs
placed uncovered on old dead leaves or rotted bit of wood
defy reason as to why they should be where they are un-
detected and usually unmolested even though enemies
abound. The eggs hatch and in time there are whippoor-
wills to call their plaintive cry. These adults then raise
another brood in the very same manner and somehow we
know that as long as the earth turns there will always be
heard the wailing song of the whippoorwill. Camouflage,
the gentle defense, is truly a triumph of nature.
Compare the coloring of this female mallard with her gaudy spouse who will have nothing to do with the nesting chore. She has to rely on her
"gentle defense" tor four weeks to bring off a brood.
- i^l.^iW^^^ ■
Nat. Park Service photo
Photo by Hugo H. Schroder
AUGUST, 1967
THE QUANTICO CONSERVATION STORY
By W. H. TAYLOR
Game Biologist
ALTHOUGH Quantico Marine Corps Schools is a very
busy training base year round, it has proven to be
an outstanding hunting and fishing area. It has a
wider variety of game and fish available to the sportsman
then anv other military base in Virginia. In fact, no public
hunting area in Virginia can boast a wider variety. \^ ith
the exception of black bear, every species of native game
bird and animals may be hunted there. Both forest and
farm game species, including deer, turkey, quail, rabbits,
squirrels and ruffed grouse, abound in the woods and fields
of this Marine training base. Migratory game include a
fair number of mourning doves, a wide variety of ducks,
and from time to time a few geese. Furbearing animals in-
clude raccoon, fox. muskrat, beaver and groundhog.
Fishing the streams, impoundments and tidal marshes
may produce a catch of most warm-water fishes found in
tidal and piedmont waters of Virginia. Lnique to Virginia
military bases is the trout fishing on Chopawamsic Creek.
The game and fish resources furnish about 15.000 man
days of recreation per year. Of this about 9.000 are hunting
days.
Quantico Marine Rase was established in 1917 and four
years later Major General John A. Lejeune. 13th Com-
mandant. LSMC. founded the Marine Corps Schools. In-
cluded were a Company Officers" School for captains and
a Field Officers' School for majors. Today the Basic School
trains newly commissioned Marine second lieutenants and
readies them for combat, while advanced professional
schooling is provided for more experienced officers through
the grade of lieutenant colonel at Quantico's Amphibious
Warfare School and the Staff and Command College. In
addition several specialized technical schools for enlisted
men and officers were added as required. Facilities for
research, development, test and evaluation for the Marine
Corps are also located here.
From the initial acquisition of 5.299 acres obtained by
proclamation in 1918 the base grew to about 62.000 acres
in 1911. Approximately 5 kOOO acres known as the Guadal-
canal area are available for hunting. Approximatelv 700 to
800 acres of water in streams and impoundments are utilized
for fishing and duck hunting and include about six and
one-half miles of streams. There are about 7.000-7,500 acres
of cleared land, most of which has been cleared for train-
ing purposes.
Marine Corps Schools is located about 35 miles south of
Washington. D. C, in Prince William. Stafford, and
Fauquier counties, and consists of mostlv rolling wooded
land interspersed with grown-up fields which made up over
100 farm and home sites. Much of what was open farm land
in 1941 has since become solid stands of Virginia pine or
mixed hardwoods of pole and pulpwood size. It borders on
the Potomac River, which is at sea level and extends inland
to heights of 475 feet.
It is hard to say when the first game and fish manage-
ment efforts were begun. The Commandant. Marine Corps
Schools, in 1949 established a Fish and Wildlife Conserva-
tion Committee under the staff cognizance of the Assistant
Chief of Staff. G-4. This committee was established '"to
formulate plans and recommendations for an active wild-
life conservation and management program at the Marine
Corps Schools." From its beginning the command policy
was to restore, improve and preserve the natural resources
of the lands and waters. The aim has always been sound
principles and policies consistent with good conservation
practices.
^iih the maturing of stands of timber a forester was
hired in 1962 to set up a sound timber management pro-
gram. Timber management was coordinated with wildlife
management through the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Committee.
Farly efforts at game management were limited to de-
veloping and planting small game food patches scattered
throughout the base. Numerous bicolor plantings long for-
gotten in grown-up fields bear evidence of these early
management efforts.
(Text continued on page 20)
Photo by Major B. W. Windsoi
Below: Major B. W. Windsor Inspects a renovated bicolor strip. Right: As a result of
sound wildlife management Quantico boasts a fine wild turkey population, and hunters
harvest an annual crop of prime gobblers.
Commission photo by W. H. Taylor
^^
i
SW'
A-k^^dT
aif. :j0\
Commission photo by W. H. Taylor
Above: A power line right of way through the reservation, one year after seeding to
wildlife food plants. Above, right: A managed beaver pond, with pipe in place over
dam to control water level. Below: A dove field planting of brown top millet. Below,
right: Tall corn grows at Quantlco. Some old fields are planted to agricultural crops
as part of the game management program.
I'hotu by Major B. W. Windsor
yr-
Commission photo by Taylor
Photo by Major Windsor
Year
HUNTER DAYS AND GAME KILL, 1957-1967, MARINE CORPS SCHOOLS, QUANTICO, VIRGINIA
1957-58 58-59 59-60 60-61 61-62 62-63 63-64 64-65 65-66
66-67
Hunter days
3104
4215
4995
6490
7169
7169
9534
8248
8991
7558
Game Kill:
Deer
121
178
342
479
572
564,
721
581
465
190
Turkey
24
3
47
88
42
71
32
41
25
70
Quail
634
462
994
348
367
111
502
576
670
Grouse
5
5
81
53
97
Rabbit
437
349
732
147
112
87
670
807
1023
Squirrel
268
3/19
680
88
124
119
551
1011
748
Dove
232
120
292
421
501
Ducks
13
18
95
(
174
ConTlnued on
267
page 20)
AUGUST. 1967
11
Man^s Best Friend
W
E have always heard the expression that |
the dog is man's best friend. This may
have been true, but the old notion is
s
'1.
By MALCOLM BOOKER
Game Warden, Buckingham
fast losing some of its validity.
The dog is friendly most of the time, if you
treat him kindly. He'll greet you w^ith a wagging
tail, and since the first dog came off the ark
and made for the nearest fire plug he has
had more liberty and freedom than any other
domestic animal, with the possible exception of the house
cat. Helping to enforce the dog laws of Virginia for a num-
ber of years, I have encountered several growing problems,
of which most people may be unaware, that stem directly
from this freedom and liberty which we bestow on our
canine friends. With the human population explosion and
the building of new homes in sight of one another, the dog
has been caught in the cross fire of modern living.
Here is a sample of the many complaints I get. "My good
friend and neighbor, John Doe, has dogs that come to
my place every day. I have a problem feeding my own
dogs and stock because his dogs eat up my feed, and they
are ruining my shrubbery. I wish you would tell John Doe
to keep his hounds at home, but do it in such a way he ivill
not know it was I ivho complained, as we go to church
together."
This I'll attempt to do most of the time, and I get the
following answer from John Doe: "I know who made this
complaint. You may not tell me, but I know; and I am
surprised at him because he has a dog that he thinks never
leaves his premises, but he is wrong as I caught him
digging up moles in my best row of English peas last
week."
We might as well face the fact that man's best friend is
fast losing his freedom to roam at will. The time has come
to revise our thinking with respect to responsibility for
control of dogs, if we are to cope with modern-day prob-
lems.
A man's dog is his personal property, and should be
treated as such and not allowed to roam at will. There are
dogs that forage regularly for food. One man told me re-
cently that one of his neighbor's hounds turned his garbage
can over every morning at exactly seven o'clock. We be-
lieve that about 25% of all dogs get much of their food
this way.
Buckingham is one of the counties in Virginia that has
had a five-month confinement period for dogs. During this
time the dog is supposed to be confined to the owner's
premises. This ordinance was passed for conservation pur-
poses. We know that the roaming, self-hunting dog destroys
and breaks up the nests and dens of many game birds and
animals. We believe that this ordinance has helped Buck-
ingham County maintain all around good hunting for up-
land game. Some day soon we may have year-around com-
pulsory dog confinement, with the exception of the hunting
season. Some states already have such laws, and they have
brought about better relationships between neighbors and
greatly helped in wildlife conservation.
The hunting season brings its own special kinds of dog
problems, and one of the most serious is the number of
trespass cases in which dogs are involved. Deer hounds, and
V.S.C.C. photo
deer hunters, cause much of the trouble. Neither
a deer nor the hound following him recognize
land boundaries, and the eager hunter is
tempted to follow the chase to get a shot at
the quarry. Caught upon land where he has
no permission to hunt, he explains to the game
warden or landowner that he is only '"trying
to retrieve his dog." But whatever his inten-
tion, if he has a firearm he is a trespasser.
Most trespass cases occur on posted land, but the armed
deer hunter cannot legally follow his hounds even on un-
posted land unless he has the landowners permission.
Hunters in eastern Virginia may be forced eventually to
develop more interest and skill in the art of hunting deer
without dogs. I have discussed the merits of hunting deer
with and without dogs many times, with hunters from
Michigan, Pennsylvania and even Virginians from west of
the Blue Ridge, and they all agree that there is all the
difference in the world in the taste of the meat of a deer
that has not been run half to death by dogs and that of
one which has been so chased. The meat of the former is
recognized almost universally as being superior. As for the
sportsman who says he doesn't care about the game but
just likes to hear the dogs run, perhaps he had better get
himself a good recording of a chase and sit down and enjoy
himself. If there is one thing that is certain, it is that the
days when an armed hunter could put his dogs down and
follow them wherever the chase might lead are already
gone forever, and the sooner hunters themselves realize it
the better.
We believe that at least two hundred dogs are left be-
hind in my county at the end of each hunting season, to
roam in search of food and a new home. This is the time
of year that I get most calls concerning stray dogs. Often
an owner's name is on the collar of a "lost" dog. but when
someone tries to notify the owner he either receives no
answer or else the supposed owner denies that the dog is
his. The name on the collar does not prove ownership, of
course, as collars can be changed from one dog to another,
or taken off a dead one, by persons unknown. What could
be happening is this. Hunters acquire new dogs during the
year from different sources, and if during the hunting
season a dog does not meet a hunters expectations the
hunter may just walk out of the woods and abandon the
dog on purpose. It is sad but true that some hunters feel
that a dog has got to be mighty good to be worth feeding
and taking care of from one hunting season to the next.
Thus we go through a vicious circle each year. Just about
the time we think we have the roaming dog problem half-
way cleaned up. another hunting season comes and more
dogs are left behind.
It is time all dog owners realize that their dogs should
be managed and looked upon as other personal property.
The dog is not to blame for his actions. His owner is. Dog
owners who fail to keep their dogs under control at home
are hastening the day when more legal restrictions must be
applied to Old Rover's traditional freedom. Hunters who do
not keep their dogs under reasonable control in the field,
and who abandon unwanted dogs to shift for themselves,
are hastening the day when such activities as chasing deer
with dogs will have to be dispensed with entirely.
12
VIRGINIA WILDLIFE
^r^'Hs'cJ VIRGINIA WILDLIFE ^ ^ i^ ^ r^s^j^-
!§| CONSERVATIONGRAM ^
!?£ rare 13^1^ Commission Activities and Late Wildlife News ... At A Glance rgi"^* ^*
$5,000 APPROVED FOR WEED CONTROL IN CHICKAHOMINY. The Commission of Game and Inland Fish-
eries approved |5,000 for experimental weed control in Chickahominy Lake above
Walkers Dam. These funds should be adequate to clear up major trouble spots and
greatly improve conditions for anglers. One of the main purposes of the project
will be to learn how effective such treatment is in a large lake like Chickahominy
and how long the benefits will last.
The watershed feeding this lake has supplied too much nutrient material over the years,
causing the waters and bottom of the lake to become over-enriched. This condition
has favored the growth and spread of the introduced water weed, Elodea, that is
commonly grown in aquariums and gold fish bowls. Lush growths of this weed in many
parts of the lake entangle fishermen's lures, foul outboard propellers, and in some
cases literally prevent boat travel.
The chemical Diquat, a product of the Ortho Company, will be used in an attempt to control
these submerged weeds. This chemical is certified as safe for use in water supply
reservoirs such as Chickahominy. It will be pumped and sprayed into the water in
troublesome sections.
Studies have indicated that it would take $24,800 to attempt to eradicate the underwater
weeds completely in the lake, with no guarantee that the effects would last for
more than one year. The Commission's treatment will admittedly be partial, but
anglers should see a marked improvement in the weed situation.
COMMISSION REPLACES CLINCH RIVER SPORT FISH LOSSES. The Commission of Game and Inland
Fisheries is acting swiftly to restock the Clinch River with game and pan fish below
the power plant at Carbo in Russell County in the wake of a recent massive fish
kill. Fisheries Research Biologist Bob Wollitz estimated that 162,620 fish were
destroyed as the pollution swept downstream.
Fixing responsibility for the mishap and determining whether negligence may have been in-
volved is a function of the State Water Control Board, while the Commission of
Game and Inland Fisheries is undertaking to replace fish populations that were
destroyed and to determine their replacement value. Apparently, fish life was al-
most totally destroyed in a stretch of the river as a result of failure of a dam
which allowed water from a settling pond containing a high concentration of
poisonous coal ash to spill into the river.
The extent of the damage has been determined and the Commission plans to begin restocking
the Clinch with appropriate species of fish as soon as the pollution clears enough
to make this practicable. The Commission expects the sport fishery on this river to
be hurt for some time, because while a lot of the lost fish can be replaced, only
nature and time can restore the abundant fish food organisms which may have been
virtually wiped out along with the fish in some places. However, everything that
can be done will be done to restore sport fishing in the affected portion of the
river to its former status just as quickly as possible.
DOVE NUMBERS DOWN IN EAST. Call count surveys completed in May and June show mourning
dove numbers down about 2% overall in the Eastern Management Unit, according to
the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Virginia count dropped 18% below that
of last year indicating fewer breeding birds. Last year the Virginia count was
up 21% so this puts the state on a par with the 1965 breeding population.
Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries personnel participate in this breed-
ing dove census each year and the results are used in determining fall hunting
seasons and bag limits. The 1967-68 dove season framework options were about
identical with those offered eastern states last year.
AUGUST. 1967 13
1IKE meadow mushrooms after a rain shower, sailboats
J have suddenly — almost mysteriously — blossomed out in
increasing numbers on Virginia's inland lakes.
Within the past few years, they have rapidly become
part of the outdoor scene. They've slipped in quietly, some-
what as a cat walking across a rug, and suddenly they
were there; first one or two, then a dozen, then several
dozen on impoundments like Kerr Reservoir, Smith Moun-
tain Reservoir, South Holston Reservoir, Carvins Cove,
Hungry Mother Lake, Claytor Lake, Douthat Lake — any-
where there is enough water to float one.
The power boat enthusiast eyes them inquisitively as
they are chased by the wind over ripply water. He wonders.
He shrugs. And then he roars off up the lake.
Whv sailboats all of a sudden? Because sailing is a
challenge, offering an outdoorsman the chance to taste a
slice of transportation freedom in an era of buzzing motors
and cluttered concrete. Motorboating, says the sailing fan,
is too much like driving a car. It isn't as challenging. It
isn't as exciting. It isn't as demanding of skill. The sail-
boater lives in a world in which wind and wave assume
extra importance, a quiet, blue world of water and sky, a
world in which the emphasis is on an entanglement with
nature.
The. sudden interest in inland Virginia sailing doubtlessly
is a part of the great escape to the outdoors. It is one of the
many activities that help modern man satisfy an elemental
need to refresh himself by an occasional return to the
natural, primitive world from which his race sprang. Some
people escape by fishing. .Some by hunting. Some by motor-
boating. Some by camping. Some by sailing. Some by
all of these and more.
It is often noted that sailors are a peculiar lot. They
arc often the foreign car set. the people who like their out-
INLAND SAILING
By BILL COCHRAN
Roanoke
^
doors raw, the backpackers, the professional people who
look to simple pleasures.
Unquestionably, there is a challenge to sailing. This isn't
to say it is difficult to learn. It is to say that you never learn
it all. Each day is different; each situation new. Sailing
teaches keen observation and patience.
The sailor must learn at the outset that the wind is boss.
He must accept it, try to undersand it and then take ad-
vantage of it. It's a lot like marriage to a skipper.
Inland sailing requires special skills, because the moun-
tains create tricky wind currents. You watch the pattern
of the wind on the water. You watch the trees along shore.
Yon watch the little flag atop your mast. You watch, you
bo])e and sometimes you wait.
There is a challenge to it as you absorb a knowledge of
wind, weather and water. As you master your craft, you
must be careful that your head doesn't swell and tip you
^J7
::y.
14
Race at Claytor Lake attracts variety of
craft. Below: A canoe turned sailboat on
Carvins Cove. Right: Tiny sailfsh moors
beside large Columbia on Smith Mountain
Lake. Sunfish (inset) is one of the fastest
selling models today.
"^
Kj
Left: FJ's race neck to neck at Smith
Mountain Lake. Above: A simply de-
signed catamaran is one of the fastest
and most stable sailing rigs. Right:
Member of a Lightning race crew checks
wind before casting off at Claytor Lake.
over.
Because it i.s a natural inclination for one sailor to see
if he can out sail another, racing rapidly becomes a part
of sailing. Racing adds zest to the sport. It requires the ut-
most attention to every detail. The wind seldom plays
favors.
Racing, in turn, derives the necessity for some type of
organization so sailors will know when and where to
race. Such associations have developed in several inland
localities. Western Virginia, for example, sports the Vir-
ginia Inland Sailing Association with over 100 members and
cluh facilities at Smith Mountain Reservoir.
A similar sailing club, the Carolina Yacht Club, operates
on Kerr Reservoir and annually sponsors a Governor's cup
race.
To the novice. saill)oats appear to come in about as many
sizes, shapes and colors as women's hats. Indeed, there are
several hundred recognized sailing classes that vary greatly
in size and cost.
A couple popular designs among inland sailors, for ex-
ample, are the Sailfish and the Lightning.
In 1918 Alex Bryan, a maker of iceboats and surfboards
in Waterbury, Connecticut, experimented by attaching a
fin and rudder to one of his surfboards, then mounted an
old canoe sail to the contraption and sailed away. That was
the beginning of the Sailfish, a quick, colorful little craft
that now brightens Virginia's waters and numbers nation-
ally in the 50,000s.
Sailfish aren't expensive. They can be stored in the
cellar and hauled around atop a car. You can't sink one.
You sit atop them like you would a surfboard, and sailing
them is a wet and hilarious pastime. They can give a family
as much fun as a boat many times their size.
The Lightning is a bigger boat, suitable for family day
sailing, with half a dozen persons, and class racing with a
crew of three. With a little imagination you can use one for
limited overnight cruising. This boat is a 19-footer with
a 30-foot mast and 177 square feet of sail.
Ask a sailor how much a sailboat costs and he will likely
say, "Oh anywhere from $200 to $6,000. And he's right.
Costs vary widely and depend on many things. Virginia
sailors pay from about $200.00 for a do-it-yourself Sail-
fish kit to $3,000.00 for a fiberglass Lightning with racing
gear.
Everything considered, sailboating is cheaper than motor-
boating. The initial cost of equipment is less, and operat-
ing expense is nil since the wind doesn't cost you anything.
Also, sailboats depreciate very little. They will last a life-
time and can be sold for a good price many years after
purchase date.
Trouble is, though, once you buy one, it's not likely you'll
ever want to sell it.
15
^^^ ^ ' i>^ ' ^ ■*' \t, '<*
PARADE OF THE
I \_-/l / I V /KL_0 Jhirdeeville, South Carolina
A J. through the seasons, the polypore fungi put on an
interesting show in every woodland. They are especi-
ally noticeable in winter when the deciduous trees
are barren of leaves. Ihe visible part of every l^olyporus
is usually a bracket, called a ■'conk." protruding alone or
in colonies on dead or decaying wood. On the underside of
every bracket are hundreds of tiny openings, called pores,
giving this fungus their name Polyporns. literally ''many
pores."
There are some species of Polyporus that have a typical
mushroom shape, and still others have goblet shape, but
all have an association with wood. Actually the visible
conk, or variously shaped fruiting body, is but a small
part of the I'olyporus, for its thread-like mycelium will
stretch for many feet within its wood host.
The fruiting portion of a I'olyporus can send out some
three hundred and fifty thousand microscopic spores. These
enter trees or other wood through wounds or cuts, where
lovers have carved their initials too far into the bark, or
where surveyors or timber cruisers have marked trees for
boundary lines. Ueer and bear rub against the bark and
cause openings for fungus spores. The woodpeckers assist
in spreading the spores, and bark beetles and wood-boring
creatures also spread spores from place to place. Most
polypores grow on dead or partially decaying wood. Some-
times they appear to be growing on a living tree, and are
usually then a sign that the heartwood of the tree has
Polyporw: olbidus on the under side of a decaying log.
already started to decay. Some few species grow on living
trees and then the tree is usually doomed. On dead and
decaying wood the polypores help in the regeneration of the
forest by turning the wood back into a powdery form that
will become part of the topsoil. or humus, of the forest.
A Polyporus bracket may be the home of the horned
beetle, Bolitotherus. The brackets may also be host to green
algae or lichens. Ihe brackets may glow with foxfire, or
phosphorescence. Brackets have always provided torchwood,
or '"touchwood," also called "amadou." the dr>. sj)ongy
Visible portions of polypore fungi come in
nnany forms and shapes. They have one thing
in common — all are associated with wood.
^•^-^
iiivt ,
/ ^^:
16
VIRGINIA WII.ni.IFF
interior substance used for starting fires. The brackets tliat
glowed with the i)hosphorescence were once I)elieved to be
inhabited by spirits. Touching these to propitiate the spiiits
may have been the way the saying ''to touch wood" for
good luck originated. Besides providing the tinder for fires
the brackets were used for razor straps, corks, chest pro-
tectors, dyes, and snufT. They were also smoked as an
anesthetic for bee keepers.
In olden days they were used medicinally as a purge.
Lately a promising antibiotic called "biformin" has been
found in Polyporus. It is believed that this may be helpful
in treating tuberculosis.
Some species of Polyporus add a ring of growth for each
season, and some reach a fantastic age and size. There
are supposedly some six hundred species in \orth America,
and there are probably many still unnamed or unclassified.
One of the most common is Polyporus versicolor, with
hundreds of ruffled brackets of various shades and colors.
Even blue, a rare color in fungi, is found in this bracket's
concentric circles. Sometimes this fungus is known as the
"turkey-tail." because it is marked with the colors and
patterns found in a turkey's tail feathers. Brackets may be
miniature, or reach a size of several inches, but are always
Ranks of Polyporus conks on a tree iTunk.
numerous on their host stump or tree trunk. They often
appear in large clusters on old stumps, or in layers on trees
recently debarked by forest fires.
Some of the Polypores are known by unusual names,
such as the "dryad s-saddle." Polyporus squamosus, found
on decaying ash trees. Another oddity is the "hen-of-the-
woods," Polyporus schweintzii, with clusters of ruffled
brown layers, looking like an old hen surrounded by a
bevy of small chicks. This grows at the base of old conifer
stumps, and sometimes travels up old tree trunks.
Some species of Polyporus will grow on a wide variety
of trees, but others are more specific and are found only
on a certain species. For example, Polyporus roseus, is
found only on evergreens, and Polyporus rirnosus on the
black locust. Robinia. Polyporus betulinus is the birch
polypore, a smooth, corky, gray-brown, or rarely creamy-
white conk growing horizontally from birch trunks. When
young these brackets are eaten by deer.
Polyporus buckleyi is determined by the glistening drops
of water on its tube surface. Another weeping Polypore is
P. albidus, with a hoof-shaped, almost flat bracket found
on the under side of conifer logs. While actively growing
the pores \\eep. but later they dry and become hard and
brittle. Polyporus applanalus, on the other hand, has
brackets so soft and white and velvety in texture that they
are used for drawing boards. They grow to be two feet
across, mostly on oak. but rarelv on other deciduous trees.
Polyporus radiatus has a tawny conk with silky, glistening
pores, growing in overlapping layers on dead or weakened
alder wood.
Polyporus hrumalis is a dark, shiny, brown-purple fungus
apparently growing on soil, but actually on jjartially sub-
merged wood. Polyporus perennis. the goblet lichen, also
looks like it is growing from the ground, but if you dig
beneath it you will find partially decayed wood. This
lichen looks like lacy-edged golden brown goblets set one
within the other. This is a late fall polypore and someone
has suggested a Thanksgiving toast might be given in this
pretty woodland goblet. It is often used in dry arrange-
ments.
Most poKpores are too tough and leathery to be edible,
but Polyporus sulphureus. the sulphur mushroom, has been
compared in taste to breast of chicken. It is used when
very young and tender and free from insect depredations.
The soft, brilliantly yellow or orange, or creamy color,
fluted brackets are found on a wide assortment of trees, in-
cluding the chestnut, locust, maple, alder, walnut, pine,
hemlock, spruce, and apple. Its favored host tree is the
oak, however, and here it sometimes reaches gigantic size.
As it becomes older it yields a yellow dye and also shines
with enough phosphorescence to take its own picture.
Among the prettiest of all Polypores is the wood-ruffle.
Polyporus frondosus, found at the base of oak trees. This
grows into a large cluster of delicate pale gray ruffles, edged
with a darker color. This is also said to be edible when
young and tender. Some mvcologists say the ruffles have
the "odor of mice."
Polyporus brackets can be seen through all the seasons,
but many of them seem to take on brighter hues and colors
in the spring of the year. Some of them put on new ruffles
after the warm midsummer rains. They are seemingly un-
aff'ected by extremes of cold or warmth. So the parade of
the Polyporus passes through the forest, interesting and
unusual at any time of vear.
Polyporus befulinus, a species always associated witfi birch trees.
AUGUST. 1967
17
Bird Watchers' Dividend
By JOYCE FITCHETT RUSSELL
Kilmarnock
HOW many Virginians
are acquainted with
flying squirrels? Any-
one living in a wooded area
and feeding birds has the
potential for attracting these
tiny, nocturnal rodents.
A cousin of the familiar gray squirrel, this fellow is
barely larger than a mouse, with a square body and flat,
beaver-like tail. His back is a glossy dark brown and his
stomach snowy white. The layer of skin extending from his
front feet to his back legs has a ruffled edge and provides
his means of "flying" or gliding. He has whiskers as long
as a cats and large eyes, the latter doubtlessly evolved be-
cause of his nighttime environment.
Although I had heard of flying squirrels. 1 thought the
name a misnomer for the gray squirrel frequently seen
leaping from tree to tree. Insight came the first winter we
fed our birds. My son had nailed a jar top to the oak tree
about fifteen feet from our back door, and we kept this
filled with peanut butter.
One night as he fed the dog he heard the top rattling
and burst into the house with the news, "We've got a
flying squirrel!"
1 grabbed a sweater and rushed out. There silhouetted
in the dim light was the image of a rat. 1 screamed and ran
back into the house.
Patiently my son collected his nature books, located
the articles on the glaucomys volans, "flying in the dark."
and laid them out for me to study. Another trip out con-
vinced me he was right.
Afterward, we refilled the top at sunset so that our
visitor would have plenty to eat. Occasionally when we
were late, we would find him already in the sunflower
feeder doseby, so that we knew he liked all our bird feed.
And so squirrel-watching became a favorite pastime, and
sometimes we invited friends and neighbors to join us.
watch them glide in, drop on an earlier arrival already
feeding, and chase each other up and down the trunk. We
have seen as many as four at a time, but we know there are
many more because at dusk on a summer day the tops of
the trees echo with their high-pitched barking.
Whether our interest attracted the cat or he had already
been aware of the squirrels, we never knew, but soon it was
necessary to check the backyard several times each night
to chase away the feline enemy. Eventually we encircled
the tree with sheet metal to discourage Old Tom. Instead.
to our horror, he jumped over it and caught one of our
new pets. Surprised at his success, he released his victim,
and we stood paralyzed as we saw the squirrel unable to
reach safely because of our shield. Needless to say, we re-
moved the metal and raised the jar top so that we could
barely reach it from the ladder. The cat problem was solved,
although he still can be found sitting and watching.
When spring came, we hired an arborist and his crew to
trim our trees, cautioning them that any habitat of our
vohns was to be left intact. The men started their saw.
hooked on their belts and climbed the first tree. As the saw
touched it. a squirrel flew out and we yelled. "'Stop!"
Down they came. This action was repeated at the next tree,
and the men exchanged glances with a barely perceptible
head shake. Warning that these trees may die from within
did not change our minds. Since then, a large poplar has
died. but. termites notwithstanding, it should provide nest-
ing sites aplenty.
One still night soon after the arborists' aborted eff^orts,
we heard a rustling on a pile of leaves not yet burned and
surmised a nest was being built. We had our reward.
The next fall our son sat doing homework in the library
when he heard movement in the chimney. He was certain a
scjuirrel had fallen down. We opened the damper and one
fell into the fireplace. Lightning-fast, he raced and leaped
and climbed and glided — and hid. With my husband's help
we would locate him behind the desk or under the sofa arm
or behind the door or drape, only to have him disappear
before our eyes. Once he climbed the smooth rung of the
Boston rocker, and we marveled at the tenacity of his sharp
toenails. Finally, my husband cornered him in the adjoin-
ing bathroom, dropped a cardboard box over him and
deftly slid a magazine under it to hold him in. We took
him outdoors, removed the top — and he climbed my son's
leg! In a second, though, he had found the familiar tree
and was gone.
Again this past fall, we had the same thing happen. I
was reading with the cat asleep on my lap when a light
"thump ' sounded at the fireplace. The cat was beside the
chimney before I realized it must be another squirrel. Out
went the cat. while we opened the damper and waited. We
raised the window, turned off the lights and left the room.
Still no squirrel. Bedtime came. My son volunteered to get
in the fireplace and probe around the damper. Just as he
was covered with soot. I glanced up at the top of the win-
dow drapes. There silently watching us were two tre-
mendous brown eyes. We grabbed the box and the chase
was on, with my husband soon the hero again. We wanted
to study our visitor but our son insisted the squirrels
sometimes drop dead from fear; therefore we quickly re-
leased him.
We have wondered why they have never come down our
other chimney. Perhaps the television aerial warns them
off"; maybe the furnace flue is too hot. Since they have come
only in cool weather, we theorize they must be looking for
shelter, climb curiously in and quickly lose their footing
on the smooth surface. My son contends they regularly use
our roof as a playground — perhaps it is safer than the
yard.
We have seen advertisements of flying squirrels for sale
as pets. In fact, we have a
friend who as a boy captured
one from its nest and raised
it with much pleasure, event-
ually releasing it. Still, we
recognize the constant terri-
torial struggle and the hier-
archal rank of individuals
among squirrels, and we
have decided we prefer our
Nature natural.
4
18
VIRGINIA WILDLIFE
FINEST FL Y
A FRIEND once asked me. "If you
could have only one fly. what k^
would that one be?"
My answer was not long in coming:
■'I would choose the muddler minnow."
Over the past five years the muddler
has proved itself to be by far the best
fly I have ever tried for all kinds of
fish. It makes no difference whether it
is fished wet, dry, or as a streamer;
you can expect it to provide you with
plenty of action almost anytime.
The muddler minnow originated in (Canada and has now
spread throughout the I nited States. There are three varia-
tions of this great fly. The) are the white muddler, the
yellow muddler, and the brown muddler or original muddler.
Although all three are excellent. 1 prefer the brown mud-
dler, because it seems to draw the most strikes for me.
No one seems to agree on exactlv what the muddler is
supposed to represent. Many claim that it looks like a
grasshopper, and when it is fished dry. it does bear a
great similarity. 1 think it best resembles a small minnow,
especially when it is fished wet or as a streamer. \o matter
what it really looks like or how it is fished, the fish still hit
it just as viciously and consistently.
All the major national outdoor magazines have featured
an article about the muddler minnow at one time or an-
other, and it was after reading such an article that I de-
cided to give it a try. Any fly as great as the author of the
article claimed it to be had to be worth a try. and I wanted
to find out for mvself.
Soon after 1 bought my first muddler, 1 decided to give it
a test. 1 was fishing for bass at my favorite pond, but they
M
The muddler minnow.
By DAVID MYERS
Lignum
were not roopcrating. and 1 had caught
only one small one on a ])opping bug.
Tying my muddler to a 2X tapered
leader. I made a short cast close to
some weeds where I had just finished
fishing my popper unsuccessfully, (liv-
ing it a few twitches was all that was
needed. The water exploded, and I was
fast to a two-pound largemouth. Be-
fore the afternoon was over I had land-
ed several other fine bass. Since then my
fly box has never been without a col-
lection of muddlers in a variety of sizes.
I have found the size six or eight muddler to be best
for largemouth bass in ponds. These sizes are also deadly
for smallmouth bass in streams. For sunfish, especially
bluegills, I prefer the size ten. Wlien fishing for sunfish,
I usually fish the muddler as a wet fly and seldom fail to
score. Although I have never tried the muddler on trout,
my friends who have say it is deadly.
Although the muddler minnow is good all season. I
believe it reaches its peak in the fall. At this time of year
1 usually fish it as a streamer two or three feet below the
surface, and it will almost always produce.
During midsummer 1 like to use muddler as a dry
fly in ponds and lakes for largemouth bass during hot
spells. I generally cast it close to shore or other cover, give
it a few twitches, and if there is a bass nearby he will
come charging after it. Even though bass are often sluggish
at these times they can seldom resist this technique.
No matter how you fish this great fly you can hardly go
wrong. It has proved itself time after time. In my opinion,
the muddler minnow is the greatest fly ever!
YEAR OF THE BEARS
By JOHN M. AMOS
Associate Extension Entomologist
Virginia Tech
THE winter of 1966-67 will be remembered by bee-
keepers as the winter the bears raided the bee
yards.
Apparenth. the absence of berries, acorns, and other
food caused the bears to come down from the mountains.
They rambled boldly into the bee yards, even though the
homes of the owners were within sight.
The bears are extremely destructive. They break open the
hives, eat the honey, bees and brood, then throw the hives
and combs on the ground, breaking them. Wliat the bears
don't eat is left to perish in the cold. Bees cant winter in
Virginia without jirotection and food.
Once a bear visits a bee yard and gets a taste of honey
he's just like a bee visiting a sv\eet flower. He keeps coming
back.
A bee colony may be worth $.'-)5 or $10 to a beekeeper,
depending on the condition of the equipment.
Adapted from an article in the V.P.I. Extension Service Nevs. Blacksbiirg,
April, 1967.
George V. Grites of Stephens City suff"ered the most
damage last winter. Forty-five entire colonies owned by him
near Chester Gap in Rappahannock County were destroyed.
He also lost seven hives which he had placed near Boyce in
Clarke County.
Bears also destroyed four colonies near the Peaks of
Otter. The colonies were owned by W. T. Lindsey of Bed-
ford. In the same area — just off the .Skyline Drive in Bed-
ford ('ounty — three colonies owned by Webb Richardson
of Blacksburg were destroyed by bears.
Two colonies owned by George W. Owens, Route 2.
I'erryville, were destroyed near his home in the mountains.
''Bears got in my bee hives three times — in the spring
of 1965. and in the spring and fall of 1966," says J. T.
Henley. Jr., of Route 2, Crozet. "The bear that came in
1965 destroyed 12 hives before I was able to drive him
off with small shot. I think he was the same bear who came
back in 1966 — a P)50-pound male. I killed him then after
he'd destroyed three hives."
AUGUST, 1967
19
QuanticO l-tinued from paqe II)
Through the authority of I^ublic I,a\\s 85-o37 and 86-797
approved in lebruary 195J) and September 1960, a ''Co-
operative Manaiiement Plan for tlie (Conservation and De-
velopment of Fish and W ildlife Resources at Marine ("orps
Schools" was foimulated and approved ])\ the Marine
Corps, the Department of the Interior and the Common-
wealth of Virginia February 26. 1963. I nder this plan the
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. Department of the
Interior, furnishes technical assistance and professional
advice on fish management while the Commission of Game
and Inland Fisheries of the Commonwealth of Virginia
furnishes technical assistance and professional advice and
some planting materials for game management work. Fol-
lowing the forming of the Cooperative Plan the Marine
(Corps Schools Came Management program became more
organized and long-range plans were implemented. In 1965
the Marine (!orps Schools Conservation (Committee was
established to insure closer cooperation between all land
use activities to promote maximum multi-purpose utiliza-
tion. The training mission requirements of the base may
sometimes override conservation planning, but the conserva-
tion committee has been able to coordinate conservation
elTorts with training requirements to the advantage of all
concerned.
One prime concern in improving game habitat was the
need to retard growth of undesirable species and reopen
many of the grown-up areas. Controlled burning was
utilized where practical. In addition it was used as a
prevention measure against wild fires set by live firing
exercises, thereby serving a two-fold purpose. Instead of
small game food patches, long rambling strips of feed are
planted. Dove fields of various foods were planted in a
U.S.M.C. photo by Kloi.i;k,.wski
A fine trout that did not get away, hauled In by a happy youngster
■from Quantico's trout stream.
m
f
^%-^"
An aerial view showing typical
terrain of Quantico reservation.
A wildlife food planting strip
runs from lower left toward center
of photo.
U. S. Marine Corps pVioto
20
VIRGINIA WILDLIFE
continuing dove field experiment. Ikush areas unsuited to
burning were cleared by use of a rolling chopper or bush
and bog disk.
In 1966 game management practices under the direction
of the Marine Corps Schools Game Warden were aimed
at influencing or improving the habitat on about 10 percent
of the land area. Through use of extensive plowing, plant-
ing, controlled burning, mowing and timber cutting this
goal was accomplished. Stream and impoundment improve-
ments increased the fishing potential, while manipulation of
water levels and planting of beaver ponds helped duck
hunting.
Before hunting on the base all hunters must attend a
hunter safety short course. Conservation education is taught
in the post dependents schools. The Post Rod and Gun
Club, with a membership of about 1200 members, sponsors
station a record of hunter days, hours hunted and game
killed is recorded. For the last five years Quantico has
furnished 8000-9000 hunter days of recreation per year.
Hours per hunter day average about five. Quantico is a
busy base with an active population of approximately
20,000 service personnel, their dependents and civilian
employees. Hunting is restricted to service personnel, their
families and guests, and a limited number of civilians by
written permit. However, since the advent of the coopera-
tive agreements about 4 out of 10 hunters have been
civilians, hunting as guests of marines or by written permit.
Hunting seasons have conformed generally with state
regulations for the counties of location except the deer
season. Due to a very rapid buildup of the deer population
on the base a more liberal season was granted by the state.
A two-deer, either-sex season made possible harvests that
The payofF: an abundant surplus
of game to be harvested each
year, providing thousands of man-
days of wholesome outdoor rec-
reation.
U.S.M.C. photo by Crawford
a continuing program of conservation education for its
members. Hunting safety is stressed and is expected of
all who hunt on the base.
A check in-check out system for hunters and fishermen
makes possible control of the numbers of sportsmen utilizing
the area. To promote safety in hunting the base is divided
into hunting areas with well defined boundaries of roads,
fire trails or streams. Each area is limited to a certain
number of hunters per day. Hunters are assigned to an area
and must hunt in that area only. Due to the training mis-
sion of the Schools, all or parts of the base may be closed
to hunting on a given day. A maximum of about 700 hunters
could hunt at one time if all areas were open. However,
this seldom happens for training is being conducted at all
times.
With all hunters required to check in and out at a check
increased to 721 in 1963-64, with a kill of over 450 per
year for the years 1960 through 1965-66. Because of a
decline in the kill for the past two years, it was decided
to limit the kill by changing to a one-bag limit, either sex
the first day. This change, as expected, reduced the harvest
by more than half to 190. Close check is kept on the deer
harvested and the harvest is used as a tool to increase or
decrease the herd as deemed necessary.
Harvest of most species over the years that records have
been kept has generally increased. There have been wide
fluctuations but all native species continue to be plentiful.
With the continued interest of the Marine Corps in con-
servation and management of a natural resource, and with
the cooperation of state and federal agencies to furnish
technical assistance, good hunting can continue on an out-
standing military training base.
AUGUST, 1967
21
Seasons in the Dismal
(Continued from page 5)
l{ain and meltinp; snows renew the waters. Fish that have
died from draining ash can be restocked. Rut, from paving,
subdivisions, shopping centers, indu.strial parks, racetracks
and other commercial development, there can be no green
comeback for the ecological entity of the Great Dismal.
Already "progress" has encroached upon and scarred
parts of the swamp, but nothing has yet been done that
cannot be offset or undone. A few years of leaving-alone
in some places would suffice.
So-called "civilization" has long girdled this remarkable
natural area with roads. East of Suffolk, much of Route
460 is hardly more than the proverbial stone's throw from
the edges of the swamp. From the southwestern edges of
Suffolk stretches the old "Desert Road to Carolina" or
"Dismal Road" through a rural countryside that for the
moment is still in harmony with the neighboring swamp.
From Deep Creek, U. S. 17 — the Ocean Highway — goes
straight through the eastern edge of the swamp, along the
Dismal Swamp Canal. Relow Deep Creek, much of this
land is still in small farms and woodlands, except for a few
gasoline stations, restaurants and general stores. Along the
Canal are some of the prettiest picnic sites in the country,
seven of them in Virginia and others in North (Carolina.
However, I began to see what was happening when I went
into the Deep Creek entrance to the Dismal Swamp. Along
Old Mill Road and on Martin Johnson Road, almost to the
old ditch, there were many new houses. When I turned into
the private road along the ditch, 1 was relieved to find
myself back in the woods — but it wasn't for long. Soon 1
saw hundreds of cleared flat acres, with green rows and rows
of corn, instead of familiar woodlands to my left. Friends in
Portsmouth told me later the acreage had been bought by
a man named Lewis and was being worked by Wallace
Cohoon. The corn last year, they said, had been 14 feet
tall, and several bears in the cornfield had been shot from
the road by hunters.
Fire in the Swamp! This Is an aerial photograph of one of the more
devastating fres, which occurred in 1930 after a cutting operation.
Fires are harder to control in Dismal Swamp than elsewhere, because
After awhile the woods closed in again and finally I came
to the cabin where Juniper Road crosses the Portsmouth
Ditch and there was the old swamper, Harvey Vick. with
a blue wheelbarrow, working on the flower beds he had
planted on the banks around the pond. In back of the
cabin he had a flourishing vegetable garden.
Since it was beginning to rain, he invited me in. From
the new slick ranch houses not far back along the road,
it was a transport in time to go into the little house, with
its powder horn and heavy iron bear trap hanging by the
A typical Dismal Swamp lumbering operation. In this one on Jericho Ditch, the wood is mostly white cedar.
Va. State Library photo by W. A. Christian, Jr.
And feed the ducks and geese,
And I'd take my hoe, to the field I'd go.
And I'd work till the sun went down.
Va. Div. of Forestry photo
of the difficulty of getting men and equipment to them and because
of the deep peat deposits which continue to smolder long after the
above-ground blaze is extinguished.
door. One of the dogs was dozing behind the old Franklin
stove which was giving off the warmth of a dying wood fire
on this unseasonally cold wet day. There were several
kerosene lamps on the shelves and a stuffed bobcat. ( Bob-
cats seem to be thriving in recent years, perhaps at the
expense of some of the other birds and mammals.)
Over the table was a mounted bear head that had won a
Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen's Association State Champi-
onship third place for Harry C. Biddle in 1946.
The old swamper spoke a little of changes. The geese
and the ducks were gone. So were the goats and turkeys
we had seen on our last trip. "The cats probably got them."
Also the pond was "full of turtles — snappers — and they
might have picked off the ducks." On our last visit we had
been just in time to go out with R. C. Biddle and Wallace
Williams on a trap line which led to a snarling, tense,
yellow-eyed wildcat that was maneuvered only with great
strength and finesse into a large cage. That was un-
doubtedly one of the large "cats" that had been picking
off the herd of goats across the bridge from the cabin.
But Mr. Vick would rather sing than talk, so I asked
him to sing me his ballad about this cabin. "Every word
you heard me utter," he said when he had finished, "I
haven't got a single one wrote on a piece of paper."
"You have now," 1 told him. and read back the words to
make sure I had them correct. He wanted me to be sure
to note that he had changed the name of the "Portsmouth
Ditch" to the "Juniper Stream" for the sake of the poetry:
ON THE BANKS OF THE JUNIPER STREAM
There's a little brown shack in the heart of Dismal Swamp
On the bank of the Juniper Stream,
Where the bobcat prowl and the black bear growl
On the bank of the Juniper Stream.
I'd go round the road to the little green barn
Then I'd go back to the little brown shack
And listen to the waterfall,
Where the pines grow tall and the whippoorwills call
And the hootin' owls squall
On the bank of the Juniper .Stream.
If you want to see a sight in the middle of the night.
Come to the Juniper Stream.
It's a beautiful sight in the bright moonlight
On the bank of the Juniper Stream.
Now that's a great life for an old bachelor
On the bank of the Juniper Stream.
When the snowflakes fall, the wind grows cold,
The frost is in the air and the geese fly south
From the banks of the Juniper Stream.
Mr. Vick also sang railroading songs — he worked in the
Seaboard Yards for 50 years — and prohibition songs, of
which one was a parody called "You're My Moonshine."
From the cabin on the Juniper Stream it seemed more
like a century than five or six miles to the Civic Center of
Chesapeake, the new city, incorporated in 1963, which,
with 372 square miles, is the third largest city in area in
the United States. Almost surely is it the largest to have
an open season on bear and deer! — for part of the swamp
is in this city. The rest is in Nansemond County.
Because of the spillover from overcrowded urban areas
of Norfolk, Portsmouth and what used to be South Nor-
folk, the future of Great Dismal's woods-water-wildlife
survival is being challenged. With drag-line rigs, back hoes
and tractors, the eons of its creation, which is still going
on, could be stopped in a wink of time.
Harvey Viclc.
AUGUST, 1967
23
\
Edited by HARRY GILLAM
The Largest
This 9 pound 14 ounce rainbow -fronri a Vir-
ginia Trout Company pond near Monterey sets
a new Virginia record. The lucky angler was
Police Sgt. D. L. Talbott of Philippi who
landed the 27 inch lunlcer on spinning tackle.
Commission Information
Publications Revised
A number of Game Commission in-
formational folders, including the 1967-
68 Summary of Virginia Game Laws,
have been revised and reprinted and
are now available free from Hunting
and Fishing License Agents across the
state. The new 24 page hunt law folder
is similar to last year's edition includ-
ing information on seasons and bag
limits, hunting regulations, regulations
on National and State Forests and Game
Commission lands, gun restrictions,
license requirements and fees, and trap-
ping regulations. Fourteen pages of
maps aid hunters in distinguishing the
areas covered by the various season
and bag limit combinations for each
species.
Also recently revised is the Virginia
Public Campsites folder listing 135
state, federal and private campground
facilities. All areas are keyed to a grid-
ded general location map as an aid to
persons seeking accommodations in a
specific area. In addition to a brief
description of the location, the folder
includes information on the various
facilities for campers and the charges,
if any. These free folders are available
from Game Commission license agents
and businesses featuring outdoor rec-
reation equipment.
The latest edition of Public Fishing
Waters of Virginia lists 16 Commis-
sion owned lakes and 120 public and
private lakes and reservoirs open to
public fishing. The species of fish pres-
ent in each are listed along with de-
tails on the availability of boats for
rent. Also included in the county by
county tabulation are over 200 stocked
trout streams and information on the
state's major rivers offering warm-
water fishing.
Some 2.'^4 commercial marinas, docks
and marine railways are listed in the
Commission's newest folders on this
subject. Locations, telephone numbers
and a tabular summary of facilities are
included. A companion folder. Virginia
Public Boat Landings, lists 220 public
landings, including some 65 owned by
the Commission of Game and Inland
Fisheries, with the number or name of
the road leading to the ramp. Pick up
your copies of these and other infor-
mational folders when you buy your
new hunting or fishing license.
Handgun Tax Suggested for
Firearms Training
Rep. John D. Dingell has introduced
a bill, H. R. 7681. that would take the
current 10 percent excise tax on pistols
and revolvers out of general revenue
and put half of the proceeds in the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration
Fund. The other half would be prorated
to the states for a new program to pro-
vide target ranges and promote fire-
arms safety training.
Since 1937 the excise tax on rides,
shotguns, shells and cartridges has been
deposited in the Pittman-Robertson
Fund and allocated to tlie states for
wildlife research and the purchase of
hunting lands. The tax on handguns,
which in 1966 amounted to $21,406,243,
goes into general revenue. Not only
would this put some handgun money
into sorely needed firearms safety edu-
cation, it would channel some of this
money into wildlife management work
to benefit the growing number of hand-
gun owners who use their weapons for
hunting.
Southwest Virginia Brown
This handsome 4 pound 10 ounce brown trout
was caught by T. O. Miller of Chilhowie while
fishing in the South Fork of the Holston River.
New Fisheries Biologist
Norville S. Prosser. a recent graduate
of Colorado State University, has been
employed as District Fisheries Biologist
for Kast-Central Virginia. Prosser will
fill the position formerly occupied by
Ray V. Corning who was promoted to
Supervising Biologist.
Prosser worked on various fisheries
projects as an undergraduate and while
working on his M.S. degree in Fisheries
Management. He and his wife will re-
side in Fredericksburg.
24
VIRGINIA WILDLIFE
Edited by ANN PILCHER
Tidewater Youth Hold
Conservation Conference
Inspired and guided by Debbie White,
Granby High School senior who last
year represented the Virginia Girl
Scouts at the -National Youth Confer-
ence on Natural Beauty and Conserva-
tion in Washington, D. C, six Tidewater
youth groups — Girl Scouts. Explorer
Scouts. Tidewater Girls Club. Chesa-
peake 4-H Club, Boys Club and Hi Y
Clubs — organized the Tidewater Youth
for Conservation Conference held April
29 at Northside Junior High School in
Norfolk.
Main speaker was Mr. Charles Hotch-
kiss. nationally known Audubon lecturer,
who narrated the fdm '"Tidewater Trails."
showing wildlife in the \^ illiamsburg
area. Another film viewed by confer-
ence participants was "Conservation
and Balance in Nature." which deals
with a critical question of our time —
what is man doing to his environment?
.Adults informed in the fields of air
pollution, water pollution, waterfront,
anti-litter, roadside control, parks and
open spaces, and conservation educa-
tion led small group discussions which
placed emphasis on action projects. Mr.
Henry Moore of the Norfolk Chamber
of Commerce described a highly suc-
cessful cleanup project in Norfolk,
wherebv the Chamber supplied funds
Essay Awards at Hayter's Gap
At a Hayter's Gap Elementary School as-
sembly program on April 25, Mr. James Silli-
man presented to Mrs. Thelma Henderson,
principal, a Certificate of Merit and $10 check
for 100% student participation in the 20th
Annual Wildlife Essay Contest. Mr. Silliman
had accepted these awards in Richmond April
21 on behalf of the school. Mr. Roy Smith,
State game warden assigned to Washington
County, was present at the assembly and spoke
briefly on the beauty and care of our natural
resources. Pictured are Richard Morris, 6th
grade $15 winner. Warden Smith, Mrs. Hender-
son, and Mr. Silliman.
YOUTH
for rakes and clippers which Maury
High School Key Club members used to
clean up a badly littered street.
The establishment of a permanent
Tidewater Youth for Conservation
Council is an outgrowth of the con-
ference.
{Courtesy Mrs. C. Dodson Morrisette, Execu-
tive Director, Norfolk SPCA, and Miss
Cordelia Ruffin, Assistant, Coordinator's
Office, National Youth Conference on Na-
tural Beauty and Conservation)
Air Rifle Competition
The first annual Nelson County Junior
Air Rifle Championships were held at
Nelson County High School in Lov-
ingston. Virginia, on Saturday, May 8.
The meet was sponsored by the Lovings-
ton Ruritan Club, who donated win-
ners' medals and trophies, and served
as a conclusion to the shooting and
safety instruction which fourth-seventh
Air rifle champions pictured in front row (left
to right) are Sammy Mawyer, Ray Bibb and
Stephanie Page. Back row: Jim Moyer, who
conducted the meet. Patsy Parr, Paula Colley
and Mr. L. P. Colley, president of the Lovings-
ton Ruritan Club, who awarded medals to first
place winners. (Class A winner Greg Colley
is not pictured.)
graders received as part of their physi-
cal education curriculum in the schools
of Lovingston. Fleetwood, Rockfish
Valley and Schuyler. The meet in-
volved use of air rifles at a distance
of 15 feet. Each competitor fired
five shots from the standing, prone,
sitting and kneeling positions. Students
had been classified into different classes
based on abilitv shown in the regular
physical education class. Winners were
as follows: Class A — Greg Colley and
Patsy Parr: Class B — Sammy Mawyer
and Paula Colley : Class C — Ray Bibb
and Stephanie Page.
— Courtesy Mr. Jim l/ov^r. Supervisor
Nelson Co. Eleni. Physical Education
Hunter Safety Courses Held in
Chesapeake-Nansemond Churches
The Tri-County Sportsmen's Association spon-
sored a four-hour course on safe gun handling
held April 20 and 21 at the Grassfield Baptist
Church in Chesapeake. Pictured above are
17 young sportsmen who completed the course.
Also shown are five of the six Association mem-
bers who took the instructor's course. Instruct-
ing were E. E. Walters, Game Commission
Area Patrol Leader, and Wardens E. L. Mont-
gomery and J. L. Ogden. The previous week
Messrs. Walters and Ogden with State Game
Wardens N. 8. Myers and S. B. Snead con-
ducted a 4-hour safety course sponsored by
Boy Scout Troop 4 at Magnolia Methodist
Church in Nansemond County. Fifteen boys
received certificates of completion.
Christiansburg Rodeo
The Annual Children's Fishing Rodeo,
given by the Christiansburg-Montgom-
ery County Chapter of the Izaak Walton
League of America, was held at the
club park May 14. with 207 partici-
pants. 12 years old and under.
Eight-year-old Susan Campbell of
Radford caught the largest fish, a whop-
ping 2514". 6 pound rainbow trout.
The 19" trout caught by Jovce Revsh.
of Christiansburg. took first prize in
the '"up to 6'" age group: second prize
went to Chris Elliott, of Blacksburg. for
a 12 incher. Winner in the "6 to 9"
age group was Tony Beeken, of Chris-
tiansburg. with a 22" fish. Second prize
went to Randy Pennington, of Blacks-
burg. for a 20" rainbow. Timmie Mar-
shall of Blacksburg won first place in
the -'9 to 12" group with a fish 231/2"
long, followed by David Laing. of Floyd,
with a 221/0" trout.
First prize winners of the 3 groups
were awarded trophies: second place
winners, a year's subscription to J'ir-
ginia Wildlife magazine.
At least 14 anglers took their day's
limit. One steady fisherman. Chris
Elliott, has taken his limit for the past
three years and still fishes in the "up
to 6*' age group.
— Courtesy B. K. King, Christiansburg
25
OAf WE W/irERFRONT
Edited by JIM KERRICK
Mid-Season Check-up Insures
Boating Fun
Regular care of a boat and motor is
the best insurance policy you can buy.
The premium is a mid-season check-up
to assure a smooth running rig the re-
mainder of the season. Here are a few
tips from Bill Smale. chief engineer at
Evinrude Motors.
Spark plugs are a vital part of the
"go" system. They are easy to check,
and. if fouled, inexpensive to replace.
Some experienced home mechanics can
recognize the sound of a bad plug,
but if you're like most of us, your
local marine dealer can check plugs
quickly.
Boats mooretl in either salt or fresh
water for any length of time will pick
up marine growths and scum. Boat
owners who complain of a mid-season
sluggishness in their rig may find that
this scum is the culprit. Pull the boat
out of the water and begin to clean it
immediately. If this marine life is al-
lowed to dry and harden, your chore
will be twice as hard.
A bent or nicked propeller can also be
harmful to the general operation and
speed of your outboard. Remove the
prop and check for nicks. Just to be
sure the blades have the proper "pitch."
it should be checked by your local
marine dealer. If you have to buy a
new one, dont throw the damaged one
away. Keep it as a spare. It can be
mighty handy in an emergency.
Check out your battery for any cracks
or corrosion and be sure the cables
are in good repair. If you've been
regularly using an electric starting
motor without a generator, the battery
is probably run down. Have it re-
charged so you're sure of starting power
for the rest of the season.
Your owner's manual is always a
good guide for maintenance, especially
for lubrication. It will point out parts
and assemblies which need special at-
tention. Don't forget the lower gear
case. If you have to change or add oil,
follow factory recommendations.
If the exterior of your engine has
been nicked or scratched, a little re-
touching will give it that brand new
look. Most marine dealers carry pres-
surized cans of outboard marine paint.
A good coat of wax will protect the
finish.
Accessories and equipment are the
final check point. Look for frayed
steering cables, exposed wiring and
signs of corrosion on the hardware.
Make sure life preservers and lines are
in good condition.
Although chances are you'll find
everything ship-shape, this check-up will
insure trouble-free boating the re-
mainder of the season, advises Evinrude.
Reading Water
Reading the water is a lot like read-
ing a good detective story. It's difficult
to pick out the villain by skimming the
book casually, but if vou read thorough-
ly and know what to look for, the clues
always materialize.
A boater is in much the same spot
as he reads the water for such villains
as submerged rocks, sand bars or float-
ing debris.
However, careful observation will
usually turn up one or more clues to aid
the boater.
When cruising offshore, studv the na-
ture of the coastline for hints. High
bluffs rising steeply from the water's
edge usually indicate a rocky shore and
the presence of submerged boulders.
Often there is also considerable current
along such bluffs.
Eddies and swirls in the middle of a
current or tide should be regarded with
suspicion and avoided, since they can
signal the location of underwater ob-
structions.
When looking toward shore from sea-
ward, the height of breakers can be
easily underestimated because you are
looking down the backs of the waves.
Anticipate that the breakers are as
much as 50 percent higher and rougher
than they appear.
On a river, the deepest water will
normally be about midway between the
banks on straight stretches, but will
swing wide on bends. Sand and silt tend
to build up at the mouths of tributaries,
creating sand bars and mud banks.
As a general rule water turns lighter
in color as it becomes more shallow,
particularly when the bottom consists of
sand or other material that reflects con-
siderable light.
Quotation
"With more money and more leisure
hours. America's families are turning in
increasing numbers to boating as the
ideal all-family recreation, and there is
every reason to expect this trend will con-
tinue in the months and years ahead."
-Frkd Lefton. Exerutive Director
Outhoard Boating Club of America
A Refund
In addition to the usual 2 cents a gal-
lon federal tax credit on gas purchased
for use in pleasure boats, boatmen can
now claim 6 cents a gallon on all
lubricating oil used on their craft. This
new savings provision relating to lubri-
cants purchased after December 31,
1965, for non-highway purposes was
authorized by the Excise Tax Deduction
Act of 1965. There are two ways to
take advantage of this provision. A
refund of tax paid may be requested
on a quarterly basis using Internal
Revenue Service Eorm 84'^ Or a credit
for the lubricants used during the year
may be taken against personal income
tax due on Eorm 1010 with Eorm 4i;-?6
giving the details regarding their use.
Escalation
All estimated 1()..'S70.000 persons took
part ill recrcalioiial boating during 1966
and spent, on a retail level, more than
$2,817,000,000. This is a gain over
1965 of better than a million partici-
jiaiits and of more than 200 million dol-
lars in retail sales.
26
VIRGINIA WILDLIEE
^Otd
o^ t^e
TKcHt^:
# ^f^ /
J-^/7"
By DR. J. J. MURRAY
Lexington,
FOR seven months our choices for this column have all
been land birds. Now we come to another water bird,
or more strictly speaking a marsh bird, for the bit-
ern rarely resorts to open water but prefers to skulk in
swamps and marshes. In a cattail bed it can easily hide.
Male and female American bitterns are alike in markings.
The bird is a warm yellow-brown, marked on the back with
bars and spots of a darker shade of brown, banded longi-
tudinally below with alternating stripes of pale tan and dull
cream. The flight feathers and a stripe on each side of the
neck are dark. The bill is dull yellow, the feet light green.
Varying much in length, from 25 to 30 inches or more, it
has a wingspread that sometimes reaches 50 inches. Re-
sembling the immature form of the black-crowned night
heron, it is a warmer brown. At any rate, the black on the
side of the throat will always identify it.
This bird is a heron but belongs to a somewhat aberrant
sub-family, of which we have only two species in North
America, the other species being the least bittern, a much
smaller bird. The American bittern occurs all over the
state, although it is not common with us anywhere. We
suspect that it may nest occasionally in Rockbridge County,
but have no positive evidence. I have found old nests that
appear to belong to this species. In Rockbridge we have
only 11 spring records, plus one in November and one in
December.
A. C. Bent, in his "Life Histories of North American
Marsh Birds" (United States National Museum Bulletin
135), states that this bittern "though nowhere especially
abundant" is "widely and generally distributed over near-
ly all of the North American continent." "It is less gre-
garious," he says, "and more retiring in its habits than
the other herons . . . and not so well known, even in
localities where it is really common." In winter it with-
draws from the northern part of its range, but is found
from the Pacific coast and southern states and south through
Mexico to Panama.
The nest is usually set in wet and matted marsh grass.
Four to 6 brownish eggs, about the size of a hen's egg,
are laid. They take four weeks or more to hatch. I have
never seen a nest in use, but in that am no more unfortunate
than Alexander Wilson or Audubon. They never saw one
either.
The bittern eats frogs, small fish, small snakes, grass-
hoppers, water insects, and even small mammals such as
field mice. From this it is apparent that its feeding habits
are helpful to human interests.
One of the oddest things about this odd bird is the
"pumping" sound that it makes. Peterson describes this
sound as a "slow, deep 'oong-ka-choonk — oong-ka-choonk —
oong-ka-choonk'." At a distance, when only the ka syllable
is audible, it sounds, he says, "like a mallet driving a stake
into the mud." I have heard the flight note, which is often
a croaking "ok-ok-ok-ok."
AUGUST, 1967
27
TOADS AND FROGS
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A'
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